Osaka

Revel in the sights and sounds of Osaka, Japan, with Kenji Kodama (of longtime Osaka record label Time Bomb Records) and the King Brothers, rock’n’roll madmen from neighboring Nishinomiya who’ve been banned from Osaka nightclubs on more than one occasion. Map should appear at the end of the page but can also be accessed here.

DO

Gawk at the three faces of the Tower of the Sun (Taiyou No Tou), erected for the 1970 Japan World Exposition.

Explore the odds and ends of Misono Building.

Step back in time at Shinsekai (“New World”), a neighborhood that has been revamped very little since it was built in 1912.

Embark on daytrips to other parts of the Kansai/Kinki region, such as Kyoto and Nara.

EAT

Yakiniku (grilled meat) and sushi in Tsuruhashi, Osaka’s Korea Town

Takoyaki (battered balls of octopus) at Hiroshi’s Takoyaki, next to Lub Lab recording studio in Nihonbashi.

Seafood, vegetables, and other Japanese staples at izakaya-style Ajisai